When dealing with gas cylinders of various types, in particular oxygen, acetylene, or other types of bottled gas, it is desirable to include the necessary hoses, gauges or other pieces of equipment needed when using such cylinders and valving for controlling gas flow and to provide access to such equipment at a convenient place. To the extent that such hoses, gauges or other peripheral equipment can be stored directly with the gas container, then time can be saved when assembling the equipment necessary to operate or set up gas cylinders for operation. Also, storage problems will be reduced or minimized if this peripheral equipment is retained with the gas cylinders and the detachable box will help assure the ready availability of such equipment. It is also desirable that the cylinder locking caps be used either with or without such an equipment holding box, as when the gas containers were merely being shipped or in storage.
FIGS. 1 and 2, show a system for holding gauges, hoses or couplings which was used experimentally in the development of the present invention. The gas cylinder cap is comprised of an upper portion 10 and a lower portion 12, connected together by a hinge 14. The equipment box 16.mu. was comprised of a lower portion 18 welded along a line indicated at 20 so as to become an integral part of the lower portion of the cap. The box also included a separate lid 22 which was welded to the upper portion 10 of the cap as indicated at 24. The front edge of lid 22 was provided with an opening, generally indicated at 26, through which an upstanding finger 28, mounted to the front of the lower portion of the box extended when the lid was in its closed position, which only occured when the upper portion of the cap was in its closed position. Finger 28 was provided with an aperture 30. Thus, the upper portion 10 of the cap and lid 22 would move as an integral unit and when closed, finger 28 would extend through opening 26 positioning opening 30 above the closed lid. A lock could then be placed through aperture 30 thereby locking the upper and lower portions of the cap and the lid to the lower portion of the box. Thus, the lower portion of the box and the bottom portion of the cap on one hand and the upper portion of a cap and the lid on the other constituted separate, integral elements. However, the box was not removable and would not permit either a change in box type nor use of only the cap elements.
A different type of locking system for a valve is shown in Wrenshall U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,554 wherein a dome shaped cylinder cover was provided with a centrally postioned aperture at the top of the dome through which a separate locking finger extended to allow the cover to be locked in place.
Similar types of locking cap arrangements where two members are brought together or where a tongue is allowed to penetrate through an opening with a locking-aperture being provided in the tongue and which is exposed of locking purposes are shown in Grady et al U.S. Pat. No. 1,947,081, Quarfoot U.S. Pat. No. 2,377,036 and Boak U.S. Pat. No. 3,240,407.
Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 2,291,811 shows a tank supporting device wherein a bracket mounted to a wall can secure and hold a tank of gas with a portion of the support structure extending through the sidewall of the tank's upper structure. When a cover is placed over the upper tank structure, a depending mechanism within the cover interfits with the support structure extending into the tank's sidewall so that when the cover locked in placed the tank is simultaneously locked to the support structure.
Other locking systems are shown in Lewy U.S. Pat. No. 674,582 Ooubble U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,951, Obenchain U.S. Pat. No. 2,635,939, Lehto U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,553, and Buikus U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,389.